Para what's the best way to protect the engravings. Please share your knowledge.
Thanks, really appreciate everyone's input here.
Thanks, really appreciate everyone's input here.
Polishing GG's
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If it ever get tarnished again (great job btw) the polydent in ultrasonic cleaner (piece by piece,2 x 3 minutes cycles) then hot water rinse removes everything gunked,the use lusterlace strips...same result with all your finish thickness NOT removed 
Thanks martinc, the problem I had was however way beyond ultrasonic cleansing. The nickel was covered in some kind of haze (never seen this before) which was obviously from some attempt to clean/polish it using some chemical. This haze both took away the luster but also made the metal dull. I used everything under the sun in an attempt to remove it and polish the nickel plating with no success. Also there were numerous scuff marks in several places.
That's why I took the risk of going all out and polish with a buffing wheel.
That's why I took the risk of going all out and polish with a buffing wheel.
That how the nickel Storms react to palms sweat and body oil
NO foul play involved by anyone,if I grab mine with bare hands,it will become just as you described over a certain period of time (might be minutes,might be hours of use)...this is when the lusterlace brings it back to original condition in a matter of minutes (if not seconds,its usually just the boootm tube that gets that tarnish).
Now I vape it with a microfiber cloth
NO foul play involved by anyone,if I grab mine with bare hands,it will become just as you described over a certain period of time (might be minutes,might be hours of use)...this is when the lusterlace brings it back to original condition in a matter of minutes (if not seconds,its usually just the boootm tube that gets that tarnish).
Now I vape it with a microfiber cloth
Thanks martin, the thing is this haze would not come off. If it was caused by the previous owners skin reaction surely when I polished it wouldn't it come off? I don't have the reaction issue myself so I don't know but from what I've heard it is easy to clean. This thing was like permanent.
Yeah,it just never been cleaned or hardly ever.
Its easy to remove when its fresh but after a while,a light polishing is required...enter my beloved lusterlace.
Its easy to remove when its fresh but after a while,a light polishing is required...enter my beloved lusterlace.
Glad to see this thread got started. Here are some links to polishing implements that I've had a lot of success with:
Simichrome - an excellent polishing paste. Abrasive enough to strip down all of the tarnish off of brass, and even the grooves out of a telescope with a firm buffing wheel. Be careful when using it around engravings, it WILL damage them
Amazon.com: Simichrome Polish 50 Gram/1.76 oz: Everything Else
A high quality multi-gradient untreated (no polishes, be it oils, pastes, or powders) gold/silver jewelery polishing cloth.
Amazon.com: Jewelry Polishing Cloths by Hagerty [Jewelry]: Jewelry
SS buffing kit that comes with several different mops, wheels, and buffing compounds. Also includes a liquid polish. I don't personally own this kit, but it comes highly reccomended by ecosnige, who in my experience, is the buffing MASTER. I'll re-post some pics of the restoration job he did on a nickel GGTS if he's ok with that (or he can post em).
Stainless Steel Polishing Kit - Electric Drill Kits - Buffing Kits - Buffing/Polishing - Caswell Inc
Cape Cod Polishing Cloth - much less abrasive than simichrome, but excellent for on the go touchups. The oil they're treated with leaves a pleasant, yet faint, vanilla after-smell, which sounds unimportant, but makes polishing MUCH safer and easier to do indoors compared to the simichrome.
Cape Cod Polish Metal Polishing Cloth Kit
Simichrome - an excellent polishing paste. Abrasive enough to strip down all of the tarnish off of brass, and even the grooves out of a telescope with a firm buffing wheel. Be careful when using it around engravings, it WILL damage them
Amazon.com: Simichrome Polish 50 Gram/1.76 oz: Everything Else
A high quality multi-gradient untreated (no polishes, be it oils, pastes, or powders) gold/silver jewelery polishing cloth.
Amazon.com: Jewelry Polishing Cloths by Hagerty [Jewelry]: Jewelry
SS buffing kit that comes with several different mops, wheels, and buffing compounds. Also includes a liquid polish. I don't personally own this kit, but it comes highly reccomended by ecosnige, who in my experience, is the buffing MASTER. I'll re-post some pics of the restoration job he did on a nickel GGTS if he's ok with that (or he can post em).
Stainless Steel Polishing Kit - Electric Drill Kits - Buffing Kits - Buffing/Polishing - Caswell Inc
Cape Cod Polishing Cloth - much less abrasive than simichrome, but excellent for on the go touchups. The oil they're treated with leaves a pleasant, yet faint, vanilla after-smell, which sounds unimportant, but makes polishing MUCH safer and easier to do indoors compared to the simichrome.
Cape Cod Polish Metal Polishing Cloth Kit
In polish heaven, thank you steve and rw my good friends for taking the time..
kudos and well done
kudos and well done
Excellent info RW thanks buddy, I really like the SS polishing kit, it's much better than the one I have. I'll order that for sure.
exellent work Steve. I am always glad to see people taking care of their GGs. Its a real pleasure for me and for you I suppose
There is something about a shiney Storm,specially one with well polished brass accents
*****martinc looks at the one he is holding*****
*****martinc looks at the one he is holding*****
Ok, time for my 2 cents I have renewed many a mod at this point. GGTS, Megalodon's, Mako's,Chucks etc.
First get some Flitz if you don't have some, and some clear coat protective wax.....I use Meguiars..to protect after polishing especially the aluminum ones.
Depending on the severity of scratches the following process is what I have done even going so far as stripping paint of cartos and mods that I want to make shiny:
I get stripping grade sandpaper if necessary...then down to 120 grit...then down to 180 grit...then down to ....scotchbrite...then down to 0000 Steel wool....then flitz applied with cotton cloth....6 coats...then 6 coats of clear coat wax.
Now I have a dremel polishing kit I use for around the emblems and so on...with black,white,red, rouges...I also have turtle wax rubbing compound...followed by turtle wax polishing compound...all depends If I am trying to clean a mess like para did.
I also use a rechargeable drill fully charged and will insert a bad carto and close it in the drill chuck which effectively spins the peice. Much much more control is able to be had polishing this way. You are applying the polish to the piece not the piece to the polish. Ultimately when I am done, I high speed spin 6 coats of Flitz and then 6 coats of Meguiars clear coat wax and it will always get to a mirror finish if I so desire.
I do NOT put the bottom tube with emblems and numbers in the chuck for spin polishing. I hand polish around that with the dremel.
Hope that helps?!
First get some Flitz if you don't have some, and some clear coat protective wax.....I use Meguiars..to protect after polishing especially the aluminum ones.
Depending on the severity of scratches the following process is what I have done even going so far as stripping paint of cartos and mods that I want to make shiny:
I get stripping grade sandpaper if necessary...then down to 120 grit...then down to 180 grit...then down to ....scotchbrite...then down to 0000 Steel wool....then flitz applied with cotton cloth....6 coats...then 6 coats of clear coat wax.
Now I have a dremel polishing kit I use for around the emblems and so on...with black,white,red, rouges...I also have turtle wax rubbing compound...followed by turtle wax polishing compound...all depends If I am trying to clean a mess like para did.
I also use a rechargeable drill fully charged and will insert a bad carto and close it in the drill chuck which effectively spins the peice. Much much more control is able to be had polishing this way. You are applying the polish to the piece not the piece to the polish. Ultimately when I am done, I high speed spin 6 coats of Flitz and then 6 coats of Meguiars clear coat wax and it will always get to a mirror finish if I so desire.
I do NOT put the bottom tube with emblems and numbers in the chuck for spin polishing. I hand polish around that with the dremel.
Hope that helps?!
Quick question for those of you with a lot of knowledge of polishing. I'm not experienced in doing the whole maintenance thing and am afraid that using the methods you mention will do more harm than good. I've heard that the Mother's Polishing Cloths are good for a wipe down but are other commercial SS polishes ok to use? (of course - not on the engravings) Also wondering if cleaning with liquid jewelry cleaner and a quick polish and application of lubricant to the threads is sufficient to keep the GGs looking good. Just looking for the "GG Maintenance for Dummies" version.
Cape Cod Polishing Cloths do a nice job. The issue is to seal it after polish so get Meguiars Clear Coat. It is an automotive clear coat polish so you should be able to get at Wal-Mart, Auto Zone and so on. Then buy a small tube of Vaseline or any other petroleum jelly and some Q-Tips apply the Vaseline to the Q-Tips and then carefully apply to all the threads. You should do this first....and then clean and polish followed by wax....and Voila.....dspin quality shine!!
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View attachment 88147
My AVSv2 was nickel plated with a huge blemish, I stripped it right down and followed my procedures above.
View attachment 88147
My AVSv2 was nickel plated with a huge blemish, I stripped it right down and followed my procedures above.
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Thanks Paulie! I confused Mothers Wax with the Cape Cod Cloths 
. Appreciate the advice.
**PS nice work on the AVS
. Appreciate the advice.**PS nice work on the AVS
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